Garden Grove Restaurant Character Dining: Disney’s Most Underrated Dining Experience

Things around the world of Disney change quick. Like Lightening McQueen quick (#dadjoke). So, even though I consider myself pretty expert at all things Disney, over the years I’ve come to understand that my expertise lies heavily in the realm of knowing that I don’t know everything about this magical place. This means I am constantly sourcing Disney boards, Disney blogs, Disney people, and everything else Disney I can consume in my waking, non-momming hours for information. And you know what the one thing I never hear mentioned is? It’s the Garden Grove restaurant character dining.

And I just don’t understand why.

We’ve sort of found ourselves at the Garden Grove restaurant character dining for breakfast or dinner a number of times throughout the past seven years. And I really do mean found. It seems that each time, it’s been just a quick, last minute decision. And each time, we leave with the same thought: “Why don’t we come here more often?”

It’s relaxing, delicious, and easy. There’s no hassle involved, and that brings me to the first reason that we find the Garden Grove restaurant character dining is Disney’s most underrated character experience.

Reservations at Garden Grove Restaurant

While we’ve made reservations for some of our trips to the Garden Grove restaurant character dining, other times we haven’t. And let me assure you, often those reservations have been made at the last (we’re talking ten minutes prior) second. It’s never felt overly crowded, and we never felt pushed out by the immense number of tables clearing out around us.

In a typical Disney character dining experience, Advanced Dining Reservations (ADR) have to be made at the 180 day window. Really, there are no exceptions to this. Those stories of people setting alarms to get up and book restaurants as soon as they become available? They’re true! (I don’t actually even function as a human prior to coffee, so this job falls to the Three Kid’s Dad here (and I’m quite glad it does).)

Of course, people cancel and you can get lucky by checking back throughout those 180 days, but nothing is guaranteed. But, because people tend to look past Garden Grove, it ends up being a great dining option that offers a bit of Disney magic for the little ones, especially for those whose grown ups may not have been on that 180 ADR thing (hey, it happens to all of us). In fact, we often find ourselves with a reservationless night or breakfast and decide to hit up Garden Grove. No regrets.

The other great part of this lack of massive, overly booked reservations is that people aren’t seated and cleared in droves. It seems in the average character dining experiences, the restaurants seat people in a wave, so that one location of the restaurant is filled at approximately the same time. That means they all then leave at approximately the same time. Now, I’m blessed with ridiculously slow eaters, so as all the tables around us clear out, on occasion we feel that tension that creeps in when you realize you may have just overstayed your welcome.

It’s simply not the case at Garden Grove, which brings me to my next reason that Garden Grove restaurant character dining is Disney’s most underrated dining experience.

Ambiance of Garden Grove Restaurant

The centerpiece of the Garden Grove restaurant is a giant oak tree with tables circling it, bringing in the feel of eating in Central Park. The canopy of the tree stretches out and is adorned with twinkling lights, that, in the evening hours, light the room along with street lamps. In the morning hours, the huge windows filter in the sunlight, creating an atmosphere of a beautiful morning in the park. We don’t rush in the park at home. And we don’t rush in the little Garden Grove park either.

There are two tiers of seating. The upper level contains the tree and a few steps down an outer ring of tables creates a “sidewalk” around the park, which contains tables and the buffet. But the room itself is small in comparison to most Disney character dining experiences. It is small enough to see the entire restaurant from any seat, creating a sense of both intimacy and space that some character dining experiences lack. Without the cafeteria feel and squeezed together tables, we feel more relaxed as we start our day or end our day. And in Disney, finding a bit of relaxation is a blessing.

Location of Garden Grove Restaurant

We’ve always been giant fans of staying in the Epcot Resort area because it’s so easy to access nearly every park on foot, and we’re quite happy to roll that way. Fortunately, the Garden Grove restaurant character dining is located in The Swan and Dolphin Resort located in the Epcot Resort area. (Read more on why you should consider staying at this property at our Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin review.)

Now, even if you’re not staying at one of these two resorts, or even one of the other many resorts just a few steps away, the Garden Grove restaurant is an easy restaurant to integrate into your day. Perhaps you start your day with the character breakfast here and then walk to Epcot for the day. Or to Hollywood Studios (I mean Star Wars, right?). Or perhaps you start your days in the park and then escape over to the Boardwalk area to relax before heading into the Garden Grove for dinner? Either way, it’s an easy place to seamlessly make part of your magical experience. (And yes, the buses come here, so you can get back to your car or hotel with zero issues.)

Cost of Garden Grove Restaurant

While you may not be able to just grab the coins found in your couch cushions to cover the cost of the Garden Grove restaurant character dining, it certainly isn’t as costly as some of the other dining options that can be found around the park. And I’m talking about those restaurants both with and without characters to entertain the little ones. So, if you’re wallet is in need of a little break, but you’re still wanting to have a special meal with some special friends, especially those of the canine sort, then Garden Grove restaurant character dining should make your list.

Food Selection at the Garden Grove Restaurant

So what do you get for the price at the Garden Grove? Well, to tell you the truth, that’s going to depend upon the day you show up, because weekdays aren’t quite the same as weekends in Disney now are they?

Monday through Thursday, the restaurant has a la carte options for diner that include something for everyone. They also have a large selection of sides to accompany the entrees. For those who still crave a bit of a buffet, there is an all you can eat buffet of soup, salad, and dessert. And, of course, there’s a children’s menu with all those favorites to keep little people happy and fed. (And if you’re lucky they will actually eat their food rather than be so excited about the characters walking around that they forget food even exists. I’m not speaking from experience though. No. Not at all.)

The rest of the week, diners at the Garden Grove restaurant get a full on buffet. And it’s not just any buffet: it’s a Seafood Sensation Buffet. And of course, the buffet includes that popular spot that’s just tall enough for little people to pick their own foods, which are all kid friendly.

Say for instance, though, you don’t love seafood. There are other options. A lot of other options, so no need to worry. Or maybe, someone in the family is, perhaps, allergic to shellfish the way a certain member of this family is. Well, simply let them know. They were gracious and easily accommodated our allergies, making sure that there was absolutely no cross contamination, keeping everyone safe, fed, and happy.

Character Experiences at Garden Grove Restaurant

So now you know we like the food and the ambiance at Garden Grove restaurant. Yes, it’s in an unbeatable location. But you know what really draws us in? It’s that each time we go, my little ones get extended time with their favorite furry friends. We see them multiple times, and we aren’t rushed. Because the restaurant is small and is still a bit underrated, we get quality time without kids surrounding us surrounding the characters. It’s a much more meaningful interaction than we’ve had in a number of places.

We also don’t have to worry about timing our trips to the buffet to perfectly suit when the characters will arrive. They swing back and greet us without us needing to track anyone down to let them know. And, honestly, after they take their break (presumably to go grab a dog biscuit or bologna sandwich), they come back. Again and again. Since the dining room is so small, this means that diners get to see them. Again and again. Which makes for a fun, yet completely  unstressed, character dining experience.

Things to Know Before You Go

Of course, as with all things Disney, there are a few things you should know before you rush to your computer and make reservations for the Garden Grove restaurant character dining.

1. The characters are not there for every meal. Pluto and Goofy appear nightly and Chip and Dale make an appearance on Fridays. So, don’t arrive for lunch. Well, unless you just want to eat lunch there.
2. The characters are around for the weekend breakfast buffet on Saturday and Sunday. And it does have all your favorite Disney breakfast treats (so you can stock up on those Disney waffles!).
3. Even though the Swan and Dolphin are located on Disney property, they are part of the Marriott family of hotels, so you will not be able to pay with your MagicBands, so bring an alternate form of payment.
4. Garden Grove restaurant does not participate in the Disney Dining Plan.
5. Children under three do eat free.
6. While we’ve found reservations are not always necessary, I would suggest making them if possible.

Hopefully now that the cat’s out of the bag on the Garden Grove restaurant character dining, some of that magic won’t disappear. But I have a feeling that the tranquility of Central Park-like atmosphere will prevail and keep it as it is: a great restaurant to escape the crowds and visit with some beloved friends.

Which Disney restaurant do you think doesn’t get the love it deserves? Let me know below.

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